Historisk Tidskrift. Utgiven av Svenska historiska föreningen
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Historisk tidskrift 122:2 • 2002

Innehåll (Contents) 2002:2

Uppsatser (Articles)

Historiens røst

May-Brith Ohman Nielsen

Fulltext (pdf)

Summary

The Voice of History

A history culture is defined by the mental figures, values and logics that are involved in the commemoration of the past. But also by its form of social interaction, material cultures, historical requisites and means of historical mediation. It is when a certain understanding of history performs a pattern of social or political practice that it forms a history culture. History cultures will have their key points of explanation, structure and legitimisation in different mental figures. These can be: In certain series of events and their interpretation; in the understanding of basic social structures; in some narrative figures and plots; in mythical or religious ideas or references; in linguistic root metaphors or aesthetic ideals. To identify a history culture we must also ask whether there is a more or less common understanding of how ”acceptable” knowledge and versions of the past are established; by whom and with what ”methods”, and of the social and cultural value of history. The basic question for when analysing power and memory is two-sided: What exactly is it that captures our mind when memory has a strong power over our reasoning and identity? And how exactly does power function when it has a strong grip upon our memory? This leads to the next question of what type of meaning has the capacity and the quality to form versions of history that we consider attractive, convincing, existential or true? The paper suggests six important elements: Recognisable and easily comprehensible mental figures, often dichotomies; recognisable and distinct narratives with a recognisable plot. Intertext – the dialogue, correspondence or associative links – with other texts, stories or images that ”support” its cognitive credibility; ”eternal truths” or absolutes that justify or verify a certain story; modes of thinking where beliefs and syncretistic cognitive patterns hold priority over analytical and critical modes of thinking; aesthetic judgement and its logical and ethical implications. The paper presents a case study of the Norwegian Agrarian movement, 1915– 1940, showing how all these aspects are involved in creating a strong history culture, using logics and mental figures that easily trap our mind.